Although all sides agree that the St. Landry Parish Animal Shelter is improving, members of Friends Underwriting Rescues turned out in force at this week's St. Landry Parish Council Public Works Committee meeting to protest their leader's banishment from the shelter.

"Why and how is it possible that Jeanie Casanova was removed from the shelter?" asked Agnes Courville, who described herself as a member of FUR and a former volunteer at the shelter, though not since July 12.

That's the date Parish President Bill Fontenot set in place a new policy requiring animal shelter staff to approve all volunteers in advance.

FUR has been involved with the shelter, which serves all of St. Landry Parish, since November.

That effort started out as a way to help the overworked staff deal with the hundreds of dogs and cats as well as sheep, pigs, goats and horses that pass through the shelter every month.

But conflicts with the shelter staff quickly soured that relationship. Volunteers criticized the conditions, the treatment of the animals and a lack of professionalism among staff members.

Those criticisms reached a critical point two months ago when complaints from volunteers led to the arrest of two shelter employees on charges of animal cruelty — primarily dealing with alleged issues of neglect.

Fontenot has said repeatedly that he welcomes volunteers.

"It is a simple application," he said. "We have had at least five or six who have made use of it and they have been approved. It is working."

He added that Casanova was removed because she never filled out an application to volunteer.

After the meeting, Casanova said she had filled out an application at the shelter that very day, but when she was asked to leave, she withdrew it before staff could act on it.

Fontenot has argued that the shelter is doing the best job it can with the limited funds available.

After the meeting, Casanova disagreed. She referred to greatly improved conditions under the shelter's new director who was put in place following the arrests. "It is a management matter, not a money matter," Casanova said.

Councilwoman Pam Gautreau, a longtime critic of the president's office, argued that Fontenot has no right to require such pre-approval.

"Under the (Home Rule) Charter you are not allowed to do that. This is opening us up to a major lawsuit," Gautreau said. "You can't hire quality people so you are picking on the volunteers."

Councilman Timmy Lejeune argued the opposite. He said allowing volunteers to work at the shelter is opening up the parish to lawsuits should any of them become injured on the job.

Councilman Dexter Brown called for both sides to find common ground. "We don't want to drive our volunteers away. Any extra help will be 100 percent beneficial to us," he said.

Fontenot said he will continue to encourage people to volunteer and urged all council members to visit the shelter. "You will find a very much improved facility," Fontenot said.